Pattern mechanism for circular knitting machines



G. E. GARNER June '1 1965 PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed une 10, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

INVENTOR. GRADY E. GARNER MJIZM V ATTORNEYS June 1, 1965 E. GARNER 3,186,191

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 10, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 1|? a6 0 7 /zs il 23 L7: i1| a o 0 0 g I l o 5/ z Q 46 L.

Q F I G. 2

INVENTOR. GRADY E. GARNER BY WMJQM ATTORNEYS June 1, 1965 E. GARNER 3,18

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 10, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 .HVTEJVIUR.

GRADY E. GARNER HY ATTORNEYS G. E. GARNER -June 1, 1965 PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 10, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. GRADY E. GARNER ATTOR NEYS G. E. GARNER June 1, 1.965

PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 10, 1960 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.9

INVENTOR. GRADY E. GARNER BY ATTORN EYS G. E. GARNER June 1, 1965 PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 IllHIIIHIHIIHIIHIHI IllIIIIIIIHIHIIIIHIIII INVENTOR. GRADY E. GARNER BY Filed June 10, 1960 I RU ATTORNEYS G. E. GARNER June 1, 1965 PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 10, 1960 INVENTOR. GRADY E. GARNER BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,186,191 PATTERN MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Grady E. Garner, High Point, N.C., assignor to Slane Hosiery Mills, Incorporated, High Point, NC, a corporation of North Carolina Filed June 10, 1960, Ser. No. 35,214 11 Claims. (CI. 66-50) This invention relates to circular knitting machines, and more particularly relates to pattern mechanism for such machines for selectively controlling the individual needles thereof so that a plurality of contrasting pattern yarns may be knit, in plating relation, into the fabric in any desired manner.

A machine according to this invention can automatically make stockings, socks or half-hose, and similar tubular knitted fabrics, as for sleeves, body wear, gloves and the like, variably ornamented with patterns of a plurality of yarns of contrasting colors plated with the body yarn of the fabric.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a circular knitting machine whereby a plurality of contrasting pattern yarns may be independently and individually incorporated into the knitted fabric in such manner as to produce a variation of different patterns.

A further object of this invention is to provide, for conventional circular knitting machines, pattern mechanism comprising a plurality of independently actuated needle selecting stations, each such station being adapted to incorporate a separate pattern yarn into a knitted fabric according to a predetermined pattern.

A further object of this invention is to provide, for a circular knitting machine, a needle selection station with associated cams whereby an elastic yarn may be incorporated into a knitted fabric in any desired manner and whereby a pattern yarn may also be incorporated into the fabric in any desired manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide, for a circular knitting machine, yarn clamping and cutting mechanism adapted to cut both the body and pattern. yarns, and to clamp inactive body yarns in segregated relation to the pattern yarns.

A further object of this invention is to provide the foregoing in a conventional circular knitting machine through the use of relatively simple mechanism with minimum change of standard parts, and in such manner as not to impede the productive capacity of the machine.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the lefthand side of a circular knitting machine incorporating a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the righthand side of the machine.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken in the direction of the angled arrows IIIIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken in the direction of the angled arrows IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the throat plate of the machine showing two yarn feeding fingers in feeding position.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary'view in section taken in the direction of the angled arrows VT-VI of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the yarn clamping and cutting mechanism of this invention.

FIG. 8 is a straight line development, as seen from inside the needle cylinder, of the needle and jack earns.

Patented June 1, 1965 FIGS. 8a and 8b are fragmentary views in top plan of two of the cams for raising the cylinder pattern jacks.

FIG. 9 shows a stocking made in accordance with this invention.

FIGS. 10 to 18 inclusive are fragmentary schematic views in perspective showing the operation of the yarn clamping and cutting mechanism.

General description The preferred embodiment of this invention described herein will relate to the well known Scott & Williams 25 step spiral half hose machine disclosed in Grothey United States Patent No. 1,678,385 and Page United States Patent No. 1,969,853. Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, it will be seen that the machine incorporates the usual support frame 10, handcrank 11, pulleys 12, high speed gear 13, cylinder raising tube 14, bevel gear 15, lower and upper bedplates 16 and 17, slotted needle cylinder 18, sinker mechanism 21, latch ring 22 pivoted at 23, throat plate 24, plural yarn feeding fingers 25 pivoted at 26, and crossbar 27 supporting the conventional horizontal dial shaft 28.

As will be more fully explained, the needle cylinder 18 is equipped with the usual latch needles, intermediate cylinder jacks and cylinder pattern jacks, and the upper bedplate 17 supports the usual needle controlling cams. The machine is adapted to knit elastic top half-hose and, as shown in FIG. 4, is provided with a horizontally movable elastic yarn feeding finger 31 of the type shown in Dickins United States Patent No. 2,174,439.

Pattern mechanism As best shown in FIG. 3, the pattern mechanism comprises three separate, independently actuated, needle selecting means located at stations A, B and C spaced angularly about the needle cylinder 18. Station A includes the usual pattern mechanism of a Scott & Williams 25 step spiral half-hose machine, having a selector drum 32 with its usual complement of pattern jacks (not shown) together with reader cam levers 33 pivoted at 34-. The reader cam levers 33 are formed with the usual reader cams 35 adapted to act upon the corresponding butts of the cylinder pattern jacks, and are formed with feet or lugs 36 which are adapted to be acted upon by corresponding butts of the pattern jacks in the selector drum 32. The conventional springs for the reader cam levers are indicated at 37. As is well known, the springs 37 urge the reader cams 35 toward the needle cylinder 18 to contact the corresponding butts of the cylinder pattern jacks.

Selector drum 32 is advanced step by step in a counterclockwise direction in the usual manner by a pawl 38 operating on the teeth of a ratchet Wheel 41 secured to the bottom of the selector drum 32. As is well known, the teeth of ratchet 41 correspond in number to the jacks in the selector drum 32. P-awl 38 is connected by suitable linkage 42 to a rocker arm 43 pivoted at 44 on the frame 10 of the machine. An anti-friction roller 45 is mounted on the distal end of rocker arm 43 and is adapted to ride upon a cam 46 mounted on the high speed gear 13 (see FIG. 2). Cam 46 is formed in the usual manner with cam rises so as to rack selector drum 32 through rocker arm 43, linkage 42, pawl 38 and ratchet 41.

The butts of the jacks in the selector drum 32, upon contacting the lugs 36 of the reader cam levers 33, move these levers clockwise, against the force of springs 37, about the pivot 34, thus moving the reader cams 35 away from the needle cylinder 18. As a result, the reader cams miss contact with the corresponding butts of the cylinder pattern jacks. The omission of one of the jacks from the selector drum 32 permits the reader cams 35 to contact the butts of the cylinder pattern jacks due to the pull of springs 37. Likewise, when one of the butts of a jack of the selector drum 32 is removed, its corresponding reader cam lever is not actuated, and hence the reader cam of that lever is urged by spring 37 into contact with the corresponding butt of the cylinder pattern jack.

The above described mechanism of needle selecting station A operates, in the usual manner, as will be more fully described, to raise selected needles to take pattern yarns from either of the pattern yarn feeding fingers 47 or 48. Only one of the pattern yarn feed fingers 47, 48 is in feeding position during the knitting of any single course. These pattern yarn feed fingers may be interchanged into yarn feeding position at will by means of conventional yarn striper mechanism of the type shown in Page United States Patent No. 1,627,337.

The pattern mechanism at needle selecting station B is similar to that described above with respect to station A. Station B includes a selector drum 51, reader cam levers 52 pivoted at 53, reader cams 54, lugs 55, springs 56, ratchet wheel 57 and pawl 58. The selector drum 51 is racked, by means of pawl 58 and ratchet 57, through linkage 61, rocker arm 62 pivoted on frame at 63, and anti-friction roller 64 mounted on the distal end of rocker arm 62, said roller 64 being adapted to ride upon cam 46 on high speed gear 13.

It is to be noted that the reader cam levers 52 of station B extend in the opposite direction to that of the reader cam levers 33 of station A, and that selector drum 51 is racked clockwise, whereas selector drum 32 is racked counterclockwise. This reversal of parts at station B permits sufficient separation between stations B and A to afford clear access to the needle cylinder 18, thus permitting the ready replacement of the cylinder jacks.

The mechanism of needle selecting station B operates, in the usual manner, to raise selected needles to take a pattern yarn from one of the yarn feeding fingers 25. In FIG. 5, there is shown yarn feeding fingers 25 and 25" feeding, respectively, a body yarn Y and a pattern yarn Y to the needles 104 of the machine. Finger 25 feeds the body yarn Y to all of the needles, whereas finger 25" feeds the pattern yarn Y to only two (or any other selected group) of the needles, the latter needles having been selected by the mechanism of needle selecting station B.

As shown in FIG. 5, throat plate 24 is formed with a raised portion 29, upon which rests pattern yarn feeding finger 25", while the yarn feed passage of finger 25" emerges at the front of the finger rather than at the bottom thereof. The combination of raised portion 29, acting as a support for finger 25", and the emergence of the yarn Y from the front of that finger permits the feeding of yarn Y at an abnormally high level, thus ensuring that such yarn is taken only by the selected needles raised by the mechanism of needle selection station B.

Throat plate 24 is also formed with an aperture 65 into which descends yam feeding finger 25' while it feeds body yarn Y to the needles 104. An inclined slot 66 is formed in the throat plate 24 between aperture 65 and the needles, and serves as a passageway for yarn Y from finger 25 to the needles. By means of aperture 65 and slot 66, yarn Y will be fed to the needles below yarn Y, and at a lower level than normal.

During feeding of the pattern yarns, all sinkers are projected inwardly at an earlier time with respect to needle loop formation, so that both the body yarn and the pattern yarns are drawn over the backs of the nibs of the sinkers to permit the pattern yarns to plate to the outside of the fabric, over the body yarn, in the manner taught in Marlette United States Patent No. 2,711,090. By feeding the body yarn Y to the needles at a level below that of the pattern yarns, and at a lower level than normal,

. that yarn will reach the reverse plating slopes at the back of the nibs of the sinkers first. As a result, as the needles descend, body yarn Y will be pulled outward with respect to the needle circle so that it will strike near the bills of the needle hooks, thus ensuring that the body yarn Y will plate to the inside of the fabric. The pattern yarns, being fed at a level higher than the body yarn Y, will, when laid upon the backs of the nibs of the sinkers, be disposed inwardly adjacent the shanks of the needles, thus ensuring that the pattern yarns will plate to the outside of the fabric.

The pattern mechanism of needle selecting station C is generally similar to that of station A. Such mechanism includes a selector drum 67, reader cam levers 68 pivoted at 71, reader cams 72, lugs 73, springs 74, pawl and ratchet wheel 76. Selector drum 67 is racked in a counterclockwise direction, by means of pawl 75 and ratchet 76, through linkage 77, link 78 afiixed to a stud shaft 81 (FIGS. 2, 3), rocker arm 83 also affixed to the stud shaft 81, anti-friction roller 82 atfixed to the distal end of rocker arm 83 and cam 46. A spring 84 urges roller 82 into constant contact with cam 46 and thus serves to return pawl 75 to racking position. Similar springs (not shown) likewise urge rollers 45 and 64 into constant contact with cam 46, thus ensuring the return of pawls 38 and 58 to racking position.

The needle selecting mechanism of station C operates in the usual manner to raise selected needles to take pattern yarn from either of the pattern yarn feeding fingers 85 or 86. Only one of the pattern yarn feed fingers 85, 86 is in yarn feeding position for any single course. The pattern yarn feeding fingers 85, 86 may be interchanged into yarn feeding position as desired by the conventional yarn striper referred to above.

Thus, each of the pattern yarn selecting stations A, B and C are independently controlled and separately actuated to select needles in any predetermined manner to introduce pattern yarn into the fabric. Because the mechanism of each yarn selecting station is independently actuated, it is possible for the selecting drums 32, 51 and 67 to be racked seriatim during each revolution of the needle cylinder 18. Preferably, each of the selecting drums should be racked at or about the moment when that portion of the needle cylinder 18 which contains the needles that knit the central area of the heel passes the selecting station to which such drum belongs. By racking each selecting drum at this time relative to the travel of the needle cylinder 18, proper patterning is ensured.

Each of the pattern yarn feeding fingers 25", 47, 48, 85 and 86 feed their pattern yarns above the normal feeding level of the fingers 25. As a result, only those needles selectively raised by the pattern mechanism to or above clearing level will take the pattern yarns. Needles raised to tuck level will not take yarn from the pattern yarn feeds.

Yam clam ping and cutting mechanism The yarn clamping and cutting mechanism of this invention is best shown in FIG. 7. Such mechanism includes a horizontal support or binder plate 87, which may be in the form of a disc, disposed within the needle circle. Formed integrally with the support 87 is the usual hub 88. Mounted on the support 87 is a yarn cutter 90 comprising a stationary blade 91 and a movable blade 92 pivoted on the hub 88 at 93. Movable cutter blade 92 is connected by a 'rod 94 to a cam (not shown) mounted on the horizontal dial shaft 28 in any well known manner. Since the dial shaft 28 rotates twice as fast as the needle cylinder 18, the cam on said shaft will actuate the movable blade 92 twice during each revolution of the needle cylinder, thus opening and closing the yarn cutter 90 twice during the knitting of each course of the stocking.

Mounted on support 87 adjacent to the yarn cutter 90 is a yarn clamp 95, which preferably comprises a piece of spring metal afiixed at one end to the support 87 and having its opposite end upturned so as to facilitate the passage of yarn thereunder. Adjacent to clamp 95 there is mounted, on support 87 and in spaced relation thereto, a plate 96 having a yarn'clamp 97 mounted on the top the master butts 114 of the jack-s '5 thereof. Clamp 97 also is formed of spring metal, and is aifixed at one end to plate 96 and has its opposite end upturned to facilitate the passing of yarn thereunder. As will be more fully explained, the spacing or interval between plate 96 and support 87 permits pattern yarn to pass between those elements to the clamp 95.

Slot 98, formed in support 87, and guide wire 101 serve, as will be more fully explained, to guide the cut yarn ends under support 87 and away from the needles so as to prevent them from being knitted into the fabric. For this purpose, it is to be noted that the guide Wire 101 is disposed between the needles and the proximate edge of the support 87. A post 102 affixed in the cross bar 27 of the machine in any suitable manner, and adapted to fit into an aperture in the embossment 103 of the support 87, retains support 87 and the various parts mounted thereon in proper relationship to the needles, yarn feeds and pattern mechanism.

The knitting cams FIGS. 8, 8a and 8b comprise schematic views showing the needle and jack cams used in the practice of this invention. Also shown is a latch needle 104 having the usual butt 105, an intermediate cylinder jack 106 having butt 107, and a cylinder pattern jack 108 having an upper widened portion 111, fulcrum point 112, selecting butts 113 and master butt 114. A sinker is indicated at The knitting cams include the usual right-hand stitch cam 116, which in this instance is radially movable, lefthand or run down stitch cam 117, top center cam 1'18 and center guard cam 121. The usual cam ring is indicated at 12 2, and is formed with drawdown cams 123, 124 and 125 which operate upon the butts 107 of the intermediate jacks 106. Cam ring 122 is also formed with rise cams 126 and 127, which act upon the butts 105 of needles 104 in the usual manner to raise the needles to tuck level.

Disposed above the cam ring 122 are switch cam 128 and leveling earn 131, each of which are adapted to lower needles 104, by their butts 105, from clear level to tuck level. Also disposed above the cam ring 122 is a radially rnovable drawdown cam 132, which is used only during the feeding of elastic yarn to the needles, and drawdown cam 133, booster cam 134 and latch clearing cam 135, the latter three cams being movable radially into operative position to act upon the needle butts 105 during the feeding of a pattern yarn from either of the fingers 85, 86 to needles under the control of needle selecting station C. Cam 133 is also operative during the feeding of the elastic yarn.

Included in needle selecting station A is jack tilting cam 136 which is designed to contact the widened portion 111 of the cylinder pattern jacks 108 and rock the butts 113, 114 thereof outwardly of the slots 'of the needle cylinder 18 about the fulcrum point 112. Also included in needle selecting station A is jack rise cam 137, which raises the needles 104 to latch clearing level by operating upon the master butts 114 of the cylinder pattern jacks 108 in the usual manner. As shown in FIG. 8b, jack cam 137 is beveled at the top thereof so as to return 108 into the slots of the needle cylinder as the jacks arrive at the top of the cam.

Similarly, needle selecting station B includes jack tilting cam 138 and jack rise cam 141, which acts upon the master butts 114 of the jacks 108 to raise their needles to latch clearing level.

Needle selecting station C incorporates, in addition to cams 133, 134 and 135, a jack tilting cam 142 and a jack rise cam 143, the latter cam acting upon the master butts 114 of the cylinder pattern'jacks 108 to raise their needles 104 to tuck level. AS is shown in FIG. 8a, the top portion of cam 143 isbeveled so as to return the master butts 114 of the jacks 108 into the slots of the needle cylinder when the needles have been raised to tuck level.

The needle cylinder 18, of course, rotates in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 3 and 8.

Operation of the pattern mechanism The operation of the embodiment of this invention disclosed in the drawings will be described with respect to a particular type of half-hose 140 (FIG. 9) incorporating a main body yarn Y fed by yarn feeding finger 25', a pattern yarn Y fed by yarn feeding finger 25", a pattern yarn Y" fed by pattern yarn feeding finger 85, a pattern yarn Y' fed by pattern yarn feeding finger 47, and an elastic yarn E fed by the elastic yarn feeding finger 31.

The elastic top 144 of the stocking 140 is knit in the usual manner from body yarn Y and elastic yarn E, with the elastic yarn being fed to selected needles according to a predetermined pattern. During knitting of the elastic top 144, drawdown cams 132 and 133 are projected inwardly to act upon the butts of the needles 104, and earns 134 and are retracted from operative position. Stitch cam 116 is in operative position and remains so at all times except during the knitting of the pattern yarns. After the needles have knit at stitch cam 117, they are raised to tuck level by cam 127 and then immediately lowered to welt level by drawdown cam 133. Meanwhile, the jacks 106 and 108 will have been lowered in the needle cylinder 18 by drawdown cam 124, and jacks 108 will have been acted upon by jack tilting cam 142, which contacts the widened portion 111 of the jacks, to rock or tilt their butts 113, 114 outwardly relative to the needle cylinder. Thereafter, alternate or some other desired arrangement of jacks 108 are acted upon in the usual manner, by the above described reader cams 72 and their associated pattern mechanism of needle selecting station C, to push the butts 113 of such jacks 108 back into the needle cylinder, whereby their master butts 114 will miss jack earn 143. Hence, the needles above the jacks 108 thus acted upon by the reader earns 72 of station C remain at welt level.

However, the needles above the jacks 108 not acted upon by the reader cams 72-the so-called selected needles-are raised to tuck level by reason of the fact that the master butts 114 of their corresponding jacks 108 travel up the inclined surface of cam 143. The selected needles thus raised to tuck level receive the elastic yarn E from finger 31, and are thereafter lowered by drawndown cam 132 to pull the elastic yarn E below the nibs of the sinkers 115 in the usual manner. Thereafter, all needles are raised to tuck level by rise cam 126, and then ride over right-hand stitch cam 116 to clear the needle latches of the elastic yarn E. The cleared needles take and knit body yarn Y in the usual manner, thus interlacing the elastic yarn E in the stocking top 144.

After the elastic top 144 of the stocking has been knit, finger 31 is retracted so as to no longer feed the elastic yarn E to the stocking. Cam 132 is also retracted, and body yarn Y is fed to the needles 104 in the usual manner down to course K of the stocking (see FIG. 9), following which the pattern yarns are introduced to the needles. Preferably, earn 133 remains in operative position.

When the pattern yarns Y, Y and Y, or any of them, are knit into the stocking 140, stitch cam 116 isare raised to tuck level by cam 127 and then immediately lowered to welt level by cam 133. Of course, when the needles 104 reach earn 127 their jacks 105 and 108 will have been lowered by cam 124, and the butts 113 and 114 of the jacks 108 will have been rocked outwardly of the needle cylinder 18 about fulcrum point 112 by the tilting cam 142. Thereafter, certain of the jacks 108 will be returned into the slots of the needle cylinder according to prearranged pattern by the reader earns 72 acting upon the corresponding butts 113 of such jacks 108 in the manner well known in the art. The pattern jacks 108 not thus returned into the need-1e cylin der by the reader cams 72 will ride, on their butts 114, up the inclined surface of cam 143, thus raising their respective needles 104 to tuck level. The selected needles raised to tuck level will be engaged, at their butts 105, by booster earn 134 and thus raised sufliciently high, above clearing level, to receive pattern yarn Y" from the finger 85 (or from finger 86, should that finger be active). The needles which were left at welt level, i.e. the nonselected needles, ride up clearing cam 135 on their butts 105 to a height suificient to clear their latches, but insufiicient to take the pattern yarn Y. In the meantime, the jacks 106 and 108 of the selected needles are lowered in the needle cylinder by drawdown cam 125.

After the pattern yarn Y has been fed to the selected needles, all of the needles are returned to tuck level by switch cam 128. Meanwhile, the cylinder pattern jacks 108 will again have their butts rocked out about fulcrum point 112 by means of tilting cam 136 acting upon the widened portion 111 of the jacks. Thereupon, certain of the jacks 108, according to predetermined pattern, will be returned into the slots of the needle cylinder 18 by means of the reader earns 35 operating on the corresponding jack butts 113 in the usual manner. The jacks 108 not returned into the needle cylinder by the reader cams 35 ride up cam 137, on their master butts 114, thus moving their respective needles above tuck level to clearing level to permit those selected needles to take the pattern yarn Y fed by the finger 47 (or finger 48, as the case may be). The master butts 114 of the jacks 108 which ride up cam 137 are pushed back into the needle cylinder by the upper beveled portion of cam 137, whereupon the raised jacks 106 and 108 are lowered by drawdown cam 123. After the selected needles have taken the pattern yarn Y they are returned to tuck level by leveling cam 131.

After the selected jacks 106 and 108 have been lowered by cam 123, the widened portions 111 of the jacks 108 contact tilting cam 138, thus again moving the butts 113 and 114 of the jacks 108 outwardly about the fulcrum point 112. According to predetermined pattern, the reader cams 54, acting upon the corresponding butts 113 of the jacks 108, push certain of those jacks back into the slots of the needle cylinder. The butts 114 of the jacks 108 not thus acted upon by the reader cams 54 ride up cam 141, thus raising their corresponding needles to clearing level to take pattern yarn Y from yarn feeding finger 25". The yarn Y is fed to the selected needles at a sufficiently high level so as not to be taken by the non-selected needles which remain at tuck level. However, all of the needles 104 take the body yarn Y from yarn feeding finger 25, and since the latches of all of the needles were cleared by cams 134 and 135, the needles, upon being lowered by stitch cam 117, will knit the body yarn and the pattern yarns.

As above mentioned, during patterning, the sinkers are projected inwardly at an earlier time relative to stitch cam 117. By doing this, and by feeding body yarn Y at a lower level than normal, below the pattern yarns, both the body yarn Y and the pattern yarns Y, Y" and Y' will be disposed on the backs of the nibs of the sinkers 115, as the needles are lowered by cam 117, with the body yarn Y disposed outwardly of the pattern yarns near the bills of the hooks of the needles, thus ensuring that in the pattern areas the body yarn will be plated to the inside of the fabric and the pattern yarns will be plated to the Operation of the yarn cutting and clamping mechanism Turning to FIGS. 10-18 inclusive, the operation of the yarn clamping and cutting mechanism will now be described. In FIG. 10, this mechanism is shown with respect to the body yarn Y and the pattern yarn Y. In the following description, it is to be understood that the body yarn Y represents not only the main body yarn, but also the reinforcing yarns for the heel, sole and toe of the stocking, the yarn used to knit the loopers waste courses, and any other yarns used in knit-ting the stocking other than the elastic and pattern yarns, Likewise, in the following description, the yarn Y is representative of any Of the pattern yarns knit into the stocking.

In FIG. 10, with both the body yarn Y and the pattern yarn Y inactive, the body yarn Y is clamped on plate 96 by clamp 97, and is also clamped to support 87 by clamp 95. Pattern yarn Y passes through the interval between support 87 and plate 96 and is clamped to support 87 by clamp 95. Thus, clamp 97 and plate 96 serve to separate the body yarn Y from the pattern yarn Y', and to maintain the two yarns in segregated relation, except to the extent that both yarns pass under clamp 95 to the yarn cutter 90. It is to be understood, of course, that all of the body yarns which are used to knit the stocking are clamped between clamp 97 and plate 96 and pass under clamp 95, and that all of the pattern yarns pass under plate 96 to clamp 95. As shown in FIG. 10, the yarns have been severed by the yarn cutter 90.

In FIG. 11, finger 25 has been lowered to yarn feeding position, and the body yarn Y has been taken by the needles, the first of which is indicated at N. As the needle N moves around the needle circle, it pulls the yarn Y from between spring clamp 97 and plate 96, and folds the trailing portion of that yarn upon itself in the form of a U (see FIGS. 12, 13). As shown in FIG. 13, the portion of the yarn trailing from the needle N then is guided under the support 87 by means of slot 98. During this movement of needle N about the needle circle, the portion of yarn Y trailing therefrom is prevented from contacting the needles by means of guide wire 101. If the guide wire 101 were eliminated, the trailing portion of the yarn Y might be seized by the needles and knit into the fabric, thus spoiling it.

In FIG. 14, yarn feeding finger 25' has been retracted, and the last needle N to take the yarn Y is shown pulling the yarn under spring clamp 95 and between spring clamp 97 and plate 96, with the yarn about to be pulled into the yarn cutter for severance from the fabric.

As will be readily understood, upon retraction of yarn Y, clamp acts to tension the yarn to ensure proper severing by the yarn cutter 90. Guide wire 101 ensures that the portion of yarn trailing from needle N remains clear of the needles while passing to slot 98 and under support 87. The retraction of finger 25' causes Y to pass between plate 96 and clamp 97, rather than below plate 96.

Turning now to FIGS. 15-18, the operation of the yarn clamping and cutting mechanism in respect of the pattern yarns will be described. It is to be understood, of course, that during the ensuing description of the activity of the pattern yarn Y, the body yarn Y will continue to be fed to the needles.

When the yarn feeding finger 25" is lowered to feeding position, the first of the selected needles N to take the yarn Y pulls it around the needle circle, from between support 87 and plate 96, and causes the yarn to be bent upon itself in the form of a U under spring clamp 95, as

9 shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, before being pulled from under clamp 95 into slot 98. In the manner above described, the yarn guide wire 101 and the slot 98 prevent the portion of yarn Y trailing from needle N" from being knit by the needles, and ensure that the portion of yarn trailing from needle N passes under support 87.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the last needle N' of the first group of selected needles to take the yarn Y pulls the yarn into the interval between support 87 and plate 96 and under spring clamp 95, thus ensuring that yarn Y is properly tensioned as it is pulled by needle N' into the yarn cutter 99 for severance from the fabric.

Of course, as is usually the case, the pattern yarn Y is fed to selective needles at each side of the stocking. Thus, in FIGS. 16 and 17, the yarn is illustrated as being fed to selected needles on one side of the stocking, while in FIG. 18 the yarn is illustrated as being fed to selected needles on the opposite side of the stocking. The latter needles, NN, pull the yarn Y from between support 87 and plate 96 and double it upon itself under spring clamp 95 prior to its passage down slot 98, as in the manner shown in FIG. 17. Thus, two yarn floats will extend between the opposing banks of selected needles in any single course, requiring the yarn cutter 90 to be activated twice during knitting of each course containing a pattern yarn to thereby sever each yarn float.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pattern yarn feeding fingers 25", 47, 48, 85 and 8 6 are angularly spaced from clamps 95 and 97 and plate -96 a relatively substantial distance about the needle circle. Thus, following the feeding of a pattern yarn to the selected needles, the last of the se lected needles to take the yarn will pull it under plate 96 and clamp 95, and'into the yarn cutter 90 for severance, in the manner shown in FIG. 15. It is not necessary to retract the pattern yarn feeding fingers when their respective pattern yarns are withdrawn from the fabric. Because the pattern yarn fingers are not retracted, the pattern yarns are drawn by the last needle to take them under plate 96. If it is desired to retract the pattern yarn fingers, this is done after their yarns have passed under plate 96.

It will be seen that by means of the novel cutting and clamping mechanism of this invention, the inactive body yarns, which include the main body yarn, the reinforcing yarns, loopers courses waste yarn, etc., are clamped at a different level than the pattern yarns. The advantage of this arrangement is that the pattern yarns, which are constantly being pulled from below and then inserted under clamp 95 when active, i.e. during knitting, will cause relatively little disturbance of the inactive body yarns.

If the inactive body yarns and the active pattern yarns were all clamped together .at the same level, the pattern yarns, which are constantly being clamped and unclamped during knitting, would continually disturb the inactive body yarns and tend to draw them through their idle yarn feeding fingers, thus causing yarn wastage. Additionally, such disturbance would slacken the inactive body yarns with the result that they would either enter the needles uncertainly or not at all, thus spoiling the fabric.

In the claims, it is to be understood that the term body yarn may indicate not only the main body yarn to be used in knitting the fabric, but all additional yarns, other than elastic and pattern yarns, which are also used, including, but not limited to, reinforcing yarns and the yarns used in knitting the loopers waste courses.

While in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of this invention now known to me, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention described, and in its adaptation to existing knitting machinery, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims hereof, and that in many cases certain features of this invention may be used to advantage without corresponding use of other features.

Having thus described my invention, I claimz 1. In a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder, a circle of independent needles therein, pattern jacks associated with said needles, a body yarn feed and a set of stitch earns, a needle selecting station adjacent the needle cylinder including, in combination with an elastic yarn feed and a pattern yarn feed, a rise cam for raising selected needles to take the elastic yarn during knitting of a portion of a fabric, a booster cam for raising selected needles to take the pattern yarn during knitting of a different portion of the fabric and a clearing cam to raise the unselected needles to clearing level during knitting of the second mentioned portion of the fabric.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the booster cam and clearing cam are retractable radially of the needle cylinder and are adapted to be retracted to an inoperative position during knitting of the first mentioned portion of the fabric.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the rise cam is adapted to raise selected needles to tuck level and the booster cam is adapted to raise selected needles above tuck level.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the booster cam is adapted to raise selected needles above clearing level.

5. The invention of claim 1 further including yarn clamping and cutting mechanism disposed within the needle circle, said mechanism including body yarn clamping means to clamp inactive body yarns separate from the pattern yarns, yarn cutter means adapted to out each pattern yarn twice per revolution of the needle cylinder when said yarns are active and pattern yarn clamping means adapted to tension both said body and pattern yarns during cutting of said yarns by the cutting means.

6. The invention of claim 5 further including guide means associated with said clamping and cutting mechanisms to prevent cut yarn portions from being knit into the fabric.

7. In a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder, a circle of independent needles therein, pattern jacks associated with said needles, a body yarn feed, a pattern yarn feed and a set of stitch cams, yarn clamping and cutting mechanism disposed within the needle circle, said mechanism including body yarn clamping means to clamp inactive body yarns separate from the pattern yarns, yarn cutter means adapted to out each pattern yarn twice per revolution of the needle cylinder when said yarns are active and pattern yarn clamping means adapted to tension both said body and pattern yarns during cutting of said yarns by the cutting means.

8. The invention of claim 7 further including guide means associated with said clamping and cutting mechanism to prevent cut yarn portions from being knit into the fabric.

9. The invention of claim 7 further including a fixed support for the yarn clamp-ing and cutter means and wherein the body yarn clamping means comprises a plate disposed in spaced relation to the support and a clamp element mounted on the plate, and wherein the pattern yarn clamping means comprises a clamp element mounted on the support, said pattern yarn clamping means being disposed between the body yarn clamping means and the yarn cutter means.

19. The invention of claim 9 further including yarn guide means disposed between the support and the needles to prevent cut yarn portions from being knit into the fabric.

11. In a circular knitting machine, for knitting plate and float patterned fabrics formed of a body yarn and a plurality of pattern yarns, having a rotating needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for vertical independent movement therein, selector jacks individually associated with said needles and positioned therebeneath in said cylinder, a main yarn feeding station, yarn feeding means at said main yarn feeding station and movable into 1 1 and out of yarn feeding position, the yarn feeding means at said main yarn feeding station being operable to feed a body yarn and a pattern yarn to certain needles, and a set of knitting cams at said main yarn feeding station for actuating said needle-s to lower the same to a predetermined level to form stitch loops, the combination therewith of at least two auxiliary yarn feeding stations spaced circumferentially of the needle cylinder and in spaced relation from the main station and each other, yarn feeding means at each of said auxiliary feeding stations and being movable into and out of yarn feeding position, and Selector means positioned in advance of each of said yarn feeding stations to select and raise certain of said jacks and corresponding needles to pick up yarns at selected ones of said yarn feeding stations, said raised needles with yarn picked up thereby lbeing maint-ained above the stitch forming level until received and engaged at said main yarn feeding station by said knitting cams to lower the same to form stitch loops of the yarn.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,153,459 4/39 Getaz 66-140 2,173,783 9/39 Holmes 66-136 2,260,020 10/41 Green et al 66-41 2,361,280 10/44 Fregeolle 66-136 X 2,374,532 4/45 Fregeolle 66-43 2,436,318 2/48 McDonough 66-136 X 2,728,210 12/55 Stevens et a1 66-135 FOREIGN PATENTS 639,773 7/50 Great Britain. 790,141 2/58 Great Birtain.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A ROTARY NEEDLE CYLINDER, A CIRCLE OF INDEPENDENT NEEDLES THEREIN, PATTERN JACKS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID NEEDLES, A BODY YARN FEED AND A SET OF STITCH CAMS, A NEEDLE SELECTING STATION ADJACENT THE NEEDLE CYLINDER INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION WITH AN ELASTIC YARN FEED AND A PATTERN YARN FEED, A RISE CAM FOR RAISING SELECTED NEEDLES TO TAKE THE ELASTIC YARN DURING KNITTING OF A PORTION OF A FABRIC, A BOOSTER CAM FOR RAISING SELECTED NEEDLES TO TAKE THE PATTERN YARN DURING KNITTING OF A DIFFERENT PORTION OF THE FABRIC AND A CLEARING CAM TO RAISE THE UNSELECTED NEEDLES TO CLEARING LEVEL DURING KNITTING OF THE SECOND MENTIONED PORTION OF THE FABRIC.
 7. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING A ROTARY NEEDLE CYLINDER, A CIRCLE OF INDEPENDENT NEEDLES THEREIN, PATTERN JACKS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID NEEDLES, A BODY YARN FEED, A PATTERN YARN FEED AND A SET OF STITCH CAMS, YARN CLAMPING AND CUTTING MECHANISM INCLUDING BODY YARN CLAMPING MEANS TO SAID MECHANISM INCLUDING BODY YARN CLAMPING MEANS TO CLAMP INACTIVE BODY YARNS SEPARATE FROM THE PATTERN YARNS, YARN CUTTER MEANS ADAPTED TO CUT EACH PATTERN YARN TWICE PER REVOLUTION OF THE NEEDLE CYLINDER WHEN SAID YARNS ARE ACTIVE AND PATTERN YARN CLAMPING MEANS ADAPTED TO TENSION BOTH SAID BODY AND PATTERN YARNS DURING CUTTING OF SAID YARNS BY THE CUTTING MEANS. 